Misting apparatus for treating printing plates



June 30, 1964 w. c. HUEBNER 3,139,028

MISTING APPARATUS FOR TREATING PRINTING PLATES Filed April 3, 1962 3 Sheets-Sheet l ATOPNEYS June 30, 1 w. c. HUEBNER MISTING APPARATUS FOR TREATING PRINTING PLATES 3 SheetsSheet 2 W INVENTO BY ATTORNEYS.

Filed April 3, 1962 June 30, 1964 w. c. HUEBNER 3,139,028

MISTING APPARATUS FOR TREATING PRINTING PLATES Filed April 3, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 M W b} D V D I a w J H Q ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent 3,139,028 MISHNG APPARATUS FOR TREATING PRlN'EWG PLATES William C Huebner, Mamaroneclr, N.Y., assignor to Advanced Graphics, ind, Brooklyn, NY. Filed Apr. 3, i962, er. No. 184,749 Claims. (Cl. 101--l47) This invention relates to apparatus for supplying to press plates moisture and such chemical ingredients as are required to produce high class printed matter for an tended periods of time.

Press plates having hygroscopic, non-printing areas and ink-receptive printing areas require that the non-printing areas be provided with a moisture film to enable them to repel ink. Heretofore dampening moisture has been supplied to the plates by wetted rollers or sprays which, however, also wet the printing surfaces of the plate as well as the non-printing areas. When too much water is deposited on the printing areas, it forms an emulsion with the ink, resulting in loss of brilliance of the printing material and in turning black ink gray. It is also necessary to supply certain acids and alkalies to the nonprinting areas to maintain them in a hygroscopic condition to absorb moisture.

It is consequently an object of this invention to provide apparatus by means of which the moisture and chemical content of the non-printing areas of a printing plate may be maintained while printing large editions without requiring the stopping of the press.

Another object is to provide a new and improved construction for supplying the mists of necessary acid or alkali solutions or both, in varied proportions, to the nonprinting areas of a plate, at the option of the operator, to control the pH of the mists deposited on the non-printing areas.

It is also an object to provide apparatus by means of which the supply of mists with acids and alkali solutions can be varied in accordance with the speed at which the press is operated. Also to vary the supply of mists with acids and mists with alkalies to different portions of a printing plate depending on the ink requirements of different portions of the plate.

A further object is to provide an apparatus with means for controlling the supply of mists of acids and alkalies While the press is in operation.

Another object is to form separate mists of acid and alkali solutions of such compounds that are capable of maintaining the non-printing areas in ink-repulsive con dition during long editions of printing on paper or metal sheets or webs, and to be dependable during printing, without affecting the ink reception and printing quality of ink transfer from the inkedv image to paper.

Another object is to provide two series of mist dispensers, one on the plate cylinder and one on the ink roller train for the purpose of selectively providing che ical mist according to the ink requirements on the ink roller train and to meet the chemical requirements of the printing plate surface and the requirement of the paper or metallic sheets or webs being printed upon.

It is also an object to provide apparatus having atomizing nozzles alternately arranged crosswise of the printing cylinder to supply mists of an alkaline solution and an acid solution to the printing plate, which nozzles are controllable individually to determine the alkalinity or acidity of the mists supplied to the printing plate.

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of apparatus embodying this invention and showing the same applied to the printing cylinder of a press.

FIG. 2 is a similar view showing the apparatus applied to the inking roller of a press.

FIG. 3 is a similar View showing my improved apparatus applied to both the inking roller and printing cylinder of a press.

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal, sectional elevation thereof on an enlarged scale on line 4-4, FIG. 6 showing my apparatus in relation to a printing press as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, transverse, sectional elevation thereof on line 5-5, FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional elevation thereof on line 6-6, FIG. 4.

My improved apparatus may be mounted in any desired relation to a printing press and is shown in the drawings as arranged on one side of the printing press in advance of the inking rollers.

7 represents the printing cylinder of a press and 8 are inking rollers of an ink supply train mounted in any usual way to supply ink to the press plate mounted on the printing roll.

My improved apparatus for supplying humidified air and mist to the printing plate includes a dispenser housing or shield 9, FIG. 1, which is arranged to discharge the humidified air and mist directly to the printing plate 7, and in FIG. 2 I have shown a dispenser housing or shield 10 which supplies humidified air and mist to the inking roller of a printing press, the only difference between the two housings being that the discharge ends of the same are adapted to fit into close proximity to the cylinder or roller with which they cooperate. Whether one or the other dispenser is used depends on which is most readily applicable to the particular press to which my apparatus is to be applied.

It is also possibleto direct the mists to both the printing cylinder and inking roller, as shown in FIG. 3, in which 9' is the dispenser housing or shield through which mist is discharged to the printing cylinder and It) is the housing or shield which discharges mist to the inking roller 8.

From these rollers 8 the mists and chemicals are supplied to the press plate mounted on the printing roll 7. It will be obvious that my improvements can be used equally well to supply humidified air and mist either directly to the printing cylinder or indirectly through an inking roller, or to both.

The dispenser housing in either case is of hollow construction, open at its discharge end and terminating at either the cylinder 7 or the ink-carrying roller 8. As clearly shown in FIG. 4, the dispenser housing or shield is provided at its. receiving end with a plurality of atomizers 11 and 12 arranged at intervals along the receiving end of the dispenser housing in a row extending generally palrlallel to the axis of the printing cylinder or inking ro er.

Preferably the. dispensers are provided with fine mesh screens 14 extending across the same transversely of the direction of flow of the mists, so that any droplets of liquid larger than those desired in the mists may be removed from the same and collected on the screens, from which the flow to the bottoms of the dispensers from which such surplus liquid may be removed. These screens must of course be made of a material which is inert to solutions discharged by the atomizers.

The supply and control of material to these atomizers is preferably containedin a control box .15 mounted at the receiving end of the dispenser housing. This control box contains two tanks or containers 17 and 18, one of which contains an alkaline solution, for example, the tank 17, and the other tank 18 contains an acid solution. The control box also contains an air supply conduit or manifold 29 provided with an inlet for compressed air controlled by a valve 21, FIG. 5. This air tank or manifold is connected with each of the atomizer nozzles by means of a valve-controlled duct or pipe such, for example, as the duct 24 leading to a valve housing 25 having a control Valve 26 which extends through the housing and has an aperture therein which may be moved to a greater or lesser extent into registration with the air passage extending through the housing 25 for controlling the passage of air through the valve. This valve housing leads to another conduit or pipe 27 which forms a part of the atomizer nozzle 11 or 12. Consequently, each atomizer nozzle is individually controlled by its own valve. This manifold 20 is provided with a plugged drain outlet 22 to clear the manifold of any collected foreign matter.

The atomizer nozzles 12 are each connected with tubing 30 leading from the tank 17 containing the alkaline solution. The upper ends of the tubes 30 terminate in nozzles 31 adjacent to a discharge nozzle 12 of the air conduit 27 so that a blast of air will draw solution through the tube into the air jet passing out of the discharge conduit. The air jet breaks up the solution from the tubing 39 and thus produces a mist of the solution, combined with the air from the air conduit 20. The discharge openings in the nozzle 31 are preferably in the form of slits extending crosswise of the direction of the jets of air to produce uniform jets of mist. Similarly the tubes 33 from the acid solution tank 18 terminate in the atomizers 11 to produce mists of acid solutions. The air supplied to the manifold 20 is preferably humidified in any suitable or usual manner, such for example as passing it through water. No hurndifying means are shown since such means are well known and require no specific disclosures herein.

The atomizer nozzles 12 which produce jets of alkaline solution are arranged alternately with the atomizer nozzles 11 which are connected by means of piping 33 with the tank 18 containing an acid solution. It will be noted in FIG. 6, that the nozzles 11 and 12 are arranged alternately to supply the ink-carrying roller with these solutions, which can react with each other to form solutions of salts of the type required by the non-printing or hygroscopic areas of the printing plate.

One of the walls 35 of the control box is provided with apertures through which the pipes 30 and 33 extend to hold the same in correct relation to the control box and to each other, and the air conduit 27 may be suitably connected with its acid or alkaline piping by means of bands 36 connecting each air pipe with a solution pipe. The control box may also be provided with a plurality of transverse frame members 38 which support the air tank or conduit 20, and the control box is provided with a lid or cover 40 which can be readily removed to afford access to the interior of the valves 26, as may be required, and for replenishing the supply of solutions in the two tanks 17 and 18.

By means of the valves 26 in the air conduits leading from the tank or container 20 the amount of air passing to each atomizer nozzle can be controlled, and this in turn controls the amount of solution drawn upwardly out of the containers 17 and 18 by the pipes 30 and 33.

It frequently happens that the printing press requires more alkaline or acid solution to produce the best printing and this can be readily adjusted by means of the valves 26. By arranging the atomizer nozzles at intervals lengthwise of the ink-carrying rollers, it is also possible to supply a greater or lesser amount of solution to different parts of the printing roller lengthwise thereof and this may be necessary where heavier printing is done on certain parts of the printing roller than on other parts.

It is of course possible to operate the printing cylinder 7 at difierent speeds and obviously when so operated the amount of mist from the tanks 17 and 18 can be varied, and this increase or decrease in the amount of the mist and air can be readily controlled by means of the valve inspecting the printing produced by the plate.

21 while the printing press is in operation. Also by observing the printed sheets, an operator can readily tell whether the printing roller requires more acid or more alkali and consequently the valves 26 may be regulated accordingly while the press is in operation.

By means of the apparatus described a close control of the quality of work done by the press is readily possible by control of the valves 26 and 21. By means of the valves 26 the pH of the material supplied to the printing cylinder can be regulated to provide either acid or alkali predominance, as may be required to produce the best results. This can be determined by the operator by represents a drain pipe through which liquid collecting in the dispenser housing may be removed.

In order to facilitate the mounting of the air pipes in correct relation to the pipes carrying the acid and alkali solutions, the wall 35 of the control box may be con structed in easily removable and adjustable sections. For example, this wall may include blocks or sections having notches or recesses 51 in the lower edge thereof through which the horizontal portions of the pipes 30 or 33 extend. The upper edges of these blocks are provided with notches or recesses through which the air pipes 27 extend, and these pipes are secured in correct positions by clamps 52 which may have recesses 53 in their lower faces which fit over the air pipes 27. The clamps and blocks may be removably secured to the wall 35 in any suitable manner, for example, by means of bolts 54 extending through holes in the blocks and clamps and into threaded engagement with the wall 35. Any other means for mounting the air and solution pipes in correct relation to each other may be provided.

It is desirable to provide means for preventing excess mists from escaping from the apparatus into the room in which the printing press is located and for this purpose I provide a suction passage adjacent to the printing cylinder or inking roller and the discharge end of the dispenser. In the construction shown I have provided a suction passage only at the upper wall of the dispenser, but it will be obvious that suction passages may be provided at other walls of the dispenser. The suction passage shown is formed by another wall or partition within the dispenser adjacent to the upper wall thereof to form with this wall suction passage 61. If desired the partition may be arranged above the dispenser to form the suction passage which in either case has an inlet opening adjacent to the cylinder 7.

Air and mist beyond that required by the printing cylinder are drawn into the suction passage and pass to a duct 62 in the passage 61 through inlet openings (not shown) spaced at intervals therein, this duct extending out of the passage 61, see particularly FIG. 6. This duct connects with the inlet of a suction pump 63, the discharge of which connects with a duct or tube 64 controlled by the valve 21 and leading into the manifold 20, from which the humidified air and the solution from the excess mists is returned to the dispenser or dispensers.

The apparatus described is particularly desirable for use with gravure polished surface printing plates to produce true gravure results with varying depths of ink pockets. My improved apparatus may however be effectively used on letter presses or offset presses.

The dispensers 9 and 10 shown in FIG. 3 may each be provided with arrangement of atomizing nozzles similar to those provided for the dispensers 9 and 10. If desired, however, either of the dispensers 9 or 10 may receive mists only from one of the solutions and the other dispenser may then receive mists from the other solution.

The solutions in the tanks 17 and 18 may be of any compounds that have heretofore been found suitable for use in connection with printing. For example, the alkali solution may be magnesium nitrate with Water, gum arabic and glycerine and the acid solution may. contain phosphoric or muriatic acid with water, gum arabic and glycerine. The alkaline solution will of course neutralize the acid to produce a salt which will be taken up by the non-printing hygroscopic areas of the printing plate to enable them to absorb moisture mists.

It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangements of parts Which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of the invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for treating a printing plate mounted on a cylinder of a printing press, said apparatus including a hollow dispenser terminating at one end at said printing press and substantially coextensive in width with the length of said cylinder, a series of mist nozzles at the other end of said dispenser and spaced from each other, a manifold for compressed air connected with each of said nozzles, a valve in each nozzle for controlling the amount of air supplied to each nozzle, means for supplying an acid solution to some of said nozzles and other means for supplying an alkaline solution to the remaining nozzles, said solutions being reduced to mist by the air from said manifold, said valves being adjustable independently of each other for varying the quantities of acid and alkali in the mist supplied to difierent portions of said roller.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including means for controlling the pressure of air in said manifold to vary the amount of mist supplied to the printing cylinder through said nozzles.

3. Apparatus for treating a printing plate mounted on a printing cylinder, said apparatus including a plurality of atomizing nozzles arranged in a series extending substantially parallel to the axis of said cylinder and directing jets of mist for application to said plate, alternate nozzles directing an acid solution to said plate, and the remaining nozzles directing an alkaline solution to said plate, and means for controlling the quantity of solution discharged by each nozzle.

4. Apparatus for treating a printing plate in a printing press having an inking roller, said apparatus including a plurality of atomizing nozzles arranged in a series extending substantially parallel to the axis of said roller and directing jets of mist to said roller, alternate nozzles directing mists of an acid solution to said roller, and the remaining nozzles directing mists of an alkaline solution to said roller, compressed air tubes extending to said nozzles for forming mists of said solutions, and valves controlling the quantity of air supplied to each nozzle for controlling the quantity of solution mist discharged by each nozzle.

5. Apparatus for treating a printing cylinder in a printing press having an inking roller, said apparatus including a plurality of nozzles spaced from said roller to direct mist to said roller, means for supplying air to all of said nozzles, means for supplying mists of an acid solution to some of said nozzles and mists of an alkali solution to other nozzles, and means for regulating the quantities of said solutions supplied to said nozzles.

6. Apparatus according to claim 5 and including means for varying the pressure of air supplied to said nozzles to vary the quantity of solutions discharged by all of said nozzles.

7. Apparatus for treating a printing plate mounted on a cylinder in a printing press which also has an inking roller for supplying ink to said printing plate, said apparatus including a pair of hollow dispensers, one terminating at said printing plate and the other at said inking roller, atomizing nozzles in each of said dispensers arranged in a series extending substantially parallel to the axis or said cylinder and directing jets of mist to said cylinder and said roller through said dispensers, some of said jets being supplied with an alkali solution and the other jets with an acid solution, and compressed air conduits leading to said atomizing nozzles for converting said solutions into mists.

8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the atomizing nozzles in one of said dispensers discharge jets of alkaline mist and in which the nozzles in the other dispenser discharge acid mist.

9. Apparatus for treating a printing plate mounted on a cylinder of a printing press, said apparatus including a hollow dispenser terminating at one end of said printing press and substantially coextensive in width with the length of said cylinder, a series of mist nozzles at the other end of said dispenser and spaced from each other, a manifold for compressed air connected with each of said nozzles, a valve in each nozzle for controlling the amount of air supplied to each nozzle, means for supplying an acid solution to some of said nozzles and other means for supplying an alkaline solution to the remaining nozzles, said solutions being reduced to mist by the air from said manifold, and a fine mesh screen extending across said dispenser through which said mist passes for application to said printing plate.

10. Apparatus for treating a printing plate mounted on a rotary cylinder, said apparatus including means for forming a mist of an alkali solution, other means for forming a mist of an acid solution, said means being adjacent to and arranged alternately parallel to the axis of the cylinder, means for conducting said mists to said plate, and individual control devices for each of said mist-producing means, whereby the solutions deposited on said plate by said mists may be varied in volume and in pH at difierent portions of the plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,719,017 Moe et al July 2, 1929 1,976,039 Rowell Oct. 9, 1934 2,240,486 Beckley May 6, 1941 2,448,226 Marsden Aug. 31, 1948 2,761,382 Wood et al. Sept. 4, 1956 2,813,751 Barrett Nov. 19, 1957 2,856,848 Pritchard Oct. 21, 1958 2,991,015 Standlick July 4, 1961 

10. APPARATUS FOR TREATING A PRINTING PLATE MOUNTED ON A ROTARY CYLINDER, SAID APPARATUS INCLUDING MEANS FOR FORMING A MIST OF AN ALKALI SOLUTION, OTHER MEANS FOR FORMING A MIST OF AN ACID SOLUTION, SAID MEANS BEING ADJACENT TO AND ARRANGED ALTERNATELY PARALLEL TO THE AXIS OF THE CYLINDER, MEANS FOR CONDUCTING SAID MISTS TO SAID PLATE, AND INDIVIDUAL CONTROL DEVICES FOR EACH OF SAID MIST-PRODUCING MEANS, WHEREBY THE SOLUTIONS DEPOSITED ON SAID PLATE BY SAID MISTS MAY BE VARIED IN VOLUME AND IN PH AT DIFFERENT PORTIONS OF THE PLATE. 